Secondary Navigation

Primary Navigation

Apple Announces Two New iPhones

Once again Apple announced a new iPhone – well, two new iPhones, to be accurate. The difference between the two is the iPhone 5S is the flagship phone and the best you can buy, and the iPhone 5C is the more-affordable $99 version. For both, there is nothing different about the physical design of last year’s iPhone 5. The biggest highlight is probably the fact that the iPhone 5S has a fingerprint scanner to unlock your phone instead of having to remember a code.

mw-click-chick-091813-iphone5s

iPhone 5S is Apple’s flagship phone and the best you can buy. Photos courtesy Apple

“iPhone 5S is the most forward-thinking smart-phone in the world, delivering desktop-class architecture in the palm of your hand,” says Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone 5S sets a new standard for smartphones. Packed into its beautiful and refined design are breakthrough features that really matter to people, like Touch ID, a simple and secure way to unlock your phone with just a touch of your finger.”

The iPhone 5S looks flashier with a new gold color option (along with the usual black and white colors, which are now called space gray and silver). It has Apple’s new A7 processor, a 64-bit chip. This is significant, since it’s the first 64-bit chip in a smart-phone, and it will make the iPhone 5S two times faster than the iPhone 5 (and 40 times faster than the original iPhone). Along with the A7 chip, it uses a motion coprocessor called the M7. It continuously measures your motion data with an accelerometer, gyroscope and compass support (even when you’re sleeping). It is supposed to “enable a new generation of health and fitness apps” by letting apps use the data it collects without even tapping into the A7 chip.

The 5S home button seconds as the fingerprint scanner called Touch ID, an innovative and a more secure way to unlock your iPhone. It uses a laser-cut sapphire crystal in conjunction with a capacitive touch sensor to take a high-resolution image (500 ppi) of your fingerprint and intelligently analyze it to provide accurate readings from any angle. The silver ring around the home button detects when your finger is on it so you actually don’t have to press down on the button.

As with every other new iPhone, the camera improves. The 5S camera remains at 8-megapixel, but it features a larger f/2.2 aperture (33 percent greater light sensitivity). It also has a new LED flash, using a combination of a white and amber bulbs that will help make your pictures look more natural. The autofocus is twice as fast; there’s an auto image stabilization feature, and a new burst mode that allows you to capture 10 frames per second – perfect for trying to get that perfect shot with an ever-moving keiki or pet! The phone will analyze all those burst shots and show you what it thinks is your best shot. Additionally, there is a slow-motion camera that allows it to record 720p video at 120 FPS.

The phone’s battery life will give you up to 10 hours of talk time, 10 hours of LTE browsing and 250 hours of standby. Pricing for this flagship phone starts at $199 (16GB) with a contract with AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, and the unlocked versions with T-Mobile starts are $649 (16GB), $749 (32GB) or $849 (64GB). There also are contracted versions for $299 (32GB) and $399 (64GB).

You’ll be able to purchase one Sept. 20.

For those on a tight budget, the iPhone 5C might be for you. The guts aren’t as flashy as the iPhone 5S, but a good way to describe it is the original iPhone 5 (and more) encased in plastic and available in five bright, eye-catching colors (blue, green, pink, yellow and white). The 5C’s body has a hard-coated polycarbonate body with a steel-reinforced frame for a solid, sturdy feel. The steel frame holds the internal components and also doubles as the 5C’s antenna.

It will come with the A6 chip and loaded with iOS7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone. The 5C also includes the 8-megapixel iSight camera and a new FaceTime HD camera for better calls and/or selfies. Contracted pricing (AT&T, Sprint and Verizon) is $99 (16GB) or $199 (32GB), and uncontracted pricing with T-Mobile is $549 (16GB) or $649 (32GB). Visit Apple.com for more information.